DOMESTIC  VS  INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

For the most part in ordinary terms, a very much holiday trip for an Indian is traveling internationally. Indians usually plan their holiday vacations to South East Asia visiting the beaches of Thailand, shopping at the local markets and the big malls, trying all the exotic Thai cuisine & especially relax with a rejuvenating Thai Food & body massage. They travel to Singapore exploring the great city with a trip to Marina Bay Sands, Sentosa Island, etc. A Destination that has become very popular among Indians is Dubai where the tourists experience the magnificent high rise buildings, Dubai Malls, Dubai Culture, and their international variety of all types of cuisine. Another side of people India loves to travel outside Asia to Europe, North America, Australia & Africa.

However, now things have changed after Covid-19 that is still not finished and even the vaccine is underway. International flights are impacted in a big way as people are avoiding flying even domestically. The people who are traveling are the ones who are stuck in another city willing to go back home, going to their loved ones, relatives, or traveling for essential purposes.

However, a person can’t be enclosed or isolated for long in such an environment and needs to travel sooner or later for overcoming this uneventful, mind-numbing life.

Many of them have discovered new activities to keep themselves occupied, some have gone online to promote their businesses keeping track of their clients.

This current period will surely take no lesser than at least 6 months to settle if not back to normal. In these times especially the aviation industry & the hotel industry are reinventing themselves by coming up with new guidelines & regulations. They are in a continuous process of regulating their fares & tariffs respectively. But as things start becoming normal gradually, a smaller part of the population is bound to travel for leisure purposes taking important precautions including factors like hygiene, social distancing, etc.

And when travel opens up again people would be willing to start with domestic trips rather than International. Therefore I have made a comparison between the two and given a scenario to support it.

EASE OF TRANSPORTATION 

Traveling within India can be done with ease by car. It would be better to avoid flights & especially trains for the next few months. You can ride your car or a bike with your family or friends in most parts of the country. For long distances where a car would take many days, a short flight can be considered. Highways of India are beautiful and have a lot of scenic spots. This can keep you track of all the social norms needed to be safe. Long haul flights also give you jet lag and going to airports in this current scenario would not be wise.

NO PAPERWORK

When touring your own country, you just need to keep 1 important document either you’re driving license or PAN/AADHAR/PASSPORT. There is no requirement for a visa or any other document. Domestic travel can be done without worrying about any regulations. Every day many countries are coming up with new regulations for visas and in time it will be difficult to be granted a visa as a lot of factors would be involved like past medical reports, travel history. Domestic travel doesn’t involve any such hassle.

INDIA IS FULL OF RESOURCES – BEACHES, ISLANDS, NATIONAL PARKS, DESERTS, CULTURAL & HERITAGE RESERVES

India is surely a mini world as it has got all the resources one looks for abroad. It has a variety of climates, cultures & Vegetation. Hill stations are many with all the natural resources. Heritage Tourism & Nature Tourism is on the rise. River Tourism can be done in places like Goa. Local cruises are gaining popularity. When it comes to religious circuits India is amongst the top. Wildlife is a special treat in India having rich flora & fauna. Also, you will find deserts, mountains & ancient caves. Countries outside India have their charm and should be visited but at this time when you can get all those tourism resources here in India why should you travel with risk. Once the vaccine will be out and the situation will be under control the world is open for everyone.

POOL IN OF ALL FAMOUS INTERNATIONAL BRANDS IN INDIA

The famous International brands are already available in India. Right from the clothes, you wear to the food items you eat. On top of that now India itself makes brands that are at par with global competition like Lakme, Louis Phillipe, Café Coffee Day, etc.

NO STRESS OF A SUDDEN LOCKDOWN

At this time no one wants to be in a foreign land and get stuck because of a sudden lockdown. While traveling one can at least find it easy to come back to his hometown if any sudden situation arises. When traveling one has to be relaxed and not in continuous stress.

MONEY FACTOR – IMPORTANT SAVING FACTOR

The most important factor when one plans their travel is money. When planning a trip abroad you need a big budget for air tickets, travel Insurance, Foreign Exchange, Mobile data cards, and other expenses. Traveling locally has a low budget and you can plan well in advance for all the expenses.

GAP IN COMMUNICATION

People can technically be speaking the same language, but dialectical differences can create misunderstandings and gaps in communication. India has many different languages but in most parts, Hindi & English are spoken. It is easy to communicate with the locals than foreigners.

MORE AWARENESS OF LOCAL FACTORS

Indians are well aware of their local factors like geographical, demographical, social, and climatic. They are bound to enjoy their locality & community. Being more socially aware keeps you in a good mood and high spirits.